Without a win in any of their past five league games, four of which have been drawn, Aston Villa welcome an out-of-sorts Chelsea side who travel to Villa Park after back-to-back league and FA Cup defeats at the hands of Brighton, who must wish they could play Enzo Maresca’s side every week.
After two games out with injury, Ezri Konsa comes into the side in place of Axel Disasi, who is ineligible to play against his parent club, while Marcus Rashford, Lucas Digne and Andres Garcia drop to the substitutes’ bench.
Aston Villa are without their on-loan defender Axel Disasi, who is forbidden from playing against his parent club, which means Lamare Bogarde may have to step into the heart of their defence alongside Tyrone Mings.
In the corresponding fixture at Stamford Bridge in early December, Chelsea produced a controlled and assured performance to run out fairly easy winners but go into this contest having won just three of their last 11 matches in all competitions.
Chelsea: Chelsea: Jorgensen, Gusto, James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucrella, Caicedo, Enzo, Palmer, Neto; Nkunku.
